Veronica E. Connor Middle School2016

Students with Neighbors Foundation President Henry Kammerer.

During the week of December 12-16th, the students at Veronica Connor Middle School pitched in to help their neighbors. In an event known as "Give Change to Make a Change", students donated their coins and bills to various jars located in their teacher's classroom. The change was collected and totaled, and the class that raised the most was awarded a donut party! This year's class was Mrs. Slaght's 11 mod honors math. They raised $272.00. Their efforts, along with the schools' effort, rewarded the Neighbor's Foundation with a total of $875.00. The money will be used to help those in need this holiday season.

LaBarbera Memorial Bench.

Written by Nicole Oursler
The LaBarbera Memorial Bench at Veronica Connor Middle School was recently professionally engraved by Wagner Monuments. Mr. James LaBarbera was a teacher for almost 40 years in the Grand Island School District. He spent many years teaching at Kaegebein Elementary and then finished his career at Veronica Connor Middle School, teaching sixth grade. In addition to his teaching duties, he also was a football coach, Mathletes advisory, and served GITA for several years.
Sadly, in the fall of 2012, both he and his wife were diagnosed with terminal cancer. In the midst of this tragedy, Jim was able to maintain a positive outlook. He often expressed gratitude for his life and the people in it. In the spring of 2013 we gathered around this bench to celebrate Jim's life and his years of service to the students of Grand Island. At that time a name plate was adhered to the bench, but later disappeared. Thanks to donations from the Grand Island Teachers' Association and middle school faculty and staff, we were able to get this bench engraved to permanently preserve his memory. This bench is located just outside his former classroom, room 116. Mr. LaBarbera will be remembered not simply because of this memorial bench, but because of the man he was.

Veronica E. Connor Middle School Principal John Fitzpatrick recently announced that Max Pikula, a Special Education teacher at Kaegebein Elementary School, has been chosen as the assistant principal. Principal Fitzpatrick wrote: "It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you Mr. Max Pikula, our new Assistant Principal at Veronica E. Connor Middle School. Mr. Pikula has worked over 16 years in the Grand Island School District as a Special Education teacher at Kaegebein Elementary School. At Kaegebein, he established himself as a teacher-leader who consistently valued people, and doing what was right. This commitment to integrity affected all of his students and staff members alike, because he treats everyone with respect and dignity. He values building positive relationships and modeling a team approach when overcoming obstacles. We were very fortunate to be able to work with Mr. Pikula over the last six weeks as he filled in as our interim assistant principal. He was visible in all areas of the school building and placed student needs first. It is his philosophy to empower both students and teachers, and provide them with the necessary assistance to help them achieve their goals. This dedication will serve our Middle School well, especially at a time when students are beginning to establish their own value systems. Finally, he is willing to go above and beyond what is expected of him to maintain a team approach. We are very excited to have Mr. Pikula join our team. I would like to thank Dr. Graham, the Board of Education, and the interview team for completing this process."

Want Chiavetta's chicken but don't want to get out of your car? Then we have the solution! Get dinner for the whole family by driving up to VCMS on Friday, December 2nd anytime after 2:30 pm. Just enter through Driveway #1 and go around to the back parking lot. Give your name/tickets to the person at the door and you are on your way. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW for only $10.00/dinner!!!
Click on the link below NOW to pre-order!! Pick up on December 2nd or dine in with the family and stay for VCMS' annual Family Fun Night (games, basket raffle, Cake Walk, holiday shopping at the arts n crafts tables, etc.).
Grand Island Chiavetta's Chicken Dinner Fundraiser for VCMS Student Council, Friday December 2nd! Dine in or carry out. Dinners at door are only available on a first come, first served basis.
Don't miss out!!! Pre-order NOW by clicking on the link below!!! (use PayPal to make a payment or email tracyshores@grandislandschools.org to make other payment arrangements.)
Link Pre-sale cost: $10.00/dinner, $12.00 night of event.

On Friday December 2nd, Veronica Connor Middle School will host the Connor Craft Show and Family Fun Night from 6-9:00 p.m. There will be plenty of things to do for the whole family! Games, vendors, food and more! Come get your holiday shopping done early and enjoy a Chiavetta's Chicken dinner! Dinner tickets are on sale now for $10.00 presale and $12.00 at the door. Please contact Ms. Shores or Mrs. Przepiora for tickets. Take a chance on the cake walk or the basket raffle. Play some "Minute to Win It" games or take on a friend for giant Jenga. Browse the Book Fair.

Pictured with Veronica Connor Middle School Students are Dawn Hayes, kneeling in front of the flag, and, holding the flag, John Forrest to the left and Joe Synakowski to the right.
Photo by Mary Cooke. Click for larger view.

A special project in honor of Veterans Day 2016 was held at Veronica Connor Middle School. Eighth grade Social Studies Teacher Dawn Hayes organized a Poppy Drive to honor veterans and to help the Middle School Students learn more about Veterans Day and Grand Island WWII Hero Charles N. DeGlopper. DeGlopper, age 22, gave his life to save his platoon during the Battle of Normandy in La Fiere, France. Poppies were available in Social Studies Classes throughout the Middle School. A generous donation for the DeGlopper Park Expansion Project was presented to John Forrest, American Legion Poppy Drive Chairman and Joe Synakowski, Assistant Chairman. An American Flag was presented to the students in appreciation of their efforts. This was the first Poppy Drive at Veronica Connor Middle School and Ms. Hayes plans to make it an annual event.

In Middle School PE, we aim to help students discover physical activities they will enjoy and continue throughout their lifetime. This year we are doing so by offering choice units whenever possible. Throughout October, students were able to choose between ultimate football or a track/cross country.
We also teach many activities beyond traditional team sports. We are excited that our swim unit will now include kayaking and kayak safety. 6th-8th graders are currently practicing their compass skills during our outdoor orienteering unit. In the coming weeks, we will begin our most popular unit of the year, dance! As we explore country music, disco, hip-hop and beyond, every student is guaranteed to pick up a few moves and get a great workout.

Alex Vazquez with his Graffiti Tag.

The Art Department of the Grand Island School District would like to recognize 7th grade Veronica Connor student, Alex Vazquez, as an outstanding artistic achiever. Alex was a perfect candidate for Artist of the Month because of his meticulous and creative solutions to all artistic problems. He approaches his art work from an inventive standpoint, always searching for an uncommon angle.
Alex takes pride in his art work and only settles for impeccable. The work he completes is carefully created with craftsmanship in mind. Alex's teacher, Keri Schlageter, is proud to have him in her art room, and his thoughtful insight throughout each project is welcomed! The art department would like to congratulate Alex and wish him well on his artistic journey!

Veronica Connor Middle School held their JV DECA Mini Regional Competition on Saturday, October 15th and students came ready to succeed! Middle School DECA Advisor, Mrs. Mary Jane Fonte, hosts this competition every year for her chapter to give them the experience and enable them to vie for spots in the high school Region 12 event in January. Students were given a business/marketing scenario and prep time with current high school DECA officers to prepare for their time with a judge. This year's judges were Mr. Michael Fonte, Mr. Brandon Mumaw, Miss Lauren Fonte, and Mr. Ryan McCarthy. This year, business owner of Social Status Marketing, McCarthy was impressed by the presentation and knowledge base that the students brought to competition. He even noted that "students mentioned budgets in their presentations, which is something not every eighth grader considers when solving a marketing problem." Winners from this event will be announced during the week at VCMS and will go on to compete with students from 14 other high schools in January at the annual Region 12 DECA Business Competition hosted by Grand Island High School DECA.

Tammi VanWryeza-Ras

Connor Middle School PT has awarded Tammi VanWryeza-Ras a PTA Honorary Life membership for the work she does on behalf of children and youth. She serves as a liaison between between teachers and parents, attending meetings and facilitating programs for PTA. She coordinates membership drives and counsels and tutors in addition to her teaching job at Connor Middle School. Tammi is a positive role model for so many youngsters at the school and is well deserving of the award.

Welcome Tunnel.

At the request of Principal Mrs. Kerri Nowak, participants of the Connor Middle School JV DECA joined forces to welcome the incoming Second Graders and New Students to Huth Road School on Wednesday, August 31st. Throughout their evening together, the Eighth Graders and Elementary Students formed a bond of friendship as they toured the building, learned rules and expectations and played ice breaker games. The highlight of the evening was the Welcome Tunnel which calmed fears of the children and even made new Superintendent Dr. Brian Graham feel more at home at Huth Road School. DECA meets under the supervision of Mrs. Mary Jane Fonte at VCMS and Mrs. Cheryl Chamberlain at GIHS and prepares members for life by encouraging Leadership Development, Social Awareness, Vocational Understanding and Civic Consciousness.

VCMS New Student Orientation will take place on Wednesday, August 17th in the school cafeteria, 1100 Ransom Road, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Presenters will be Mr. Fitzpatrick, Principal; Mrs. Hawkins, Assistant Principal; Mrs. Cordero, 7th & 8th grade School Counselor; Mrs. Paige, 6th & 8th grade School Counselor. You will be given helpful information regarding your new school and what to expect when you start in September. The presentation will include a tour of the building.

Middle School Interact Club Members met recently at Tops on Grand Island to complete "Sticker Shock," an activity sponsored by One Island One Team Drug Abuse Prevention Coalition with stickers provided by the Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Student placed stickers on alcoholic beverage cases, reminding purchasers that it is illegal for people over the age of 21 to purchase or provide alcohol to minors, and violators can be punished with fines up to $1000 and/or 1 year in jail. Pattie Bianco, Tops Manager, welcomed the students with snacks, pizza and pop. The Middle School Interact Club Advisors are Carley Antonelli and Crystal Barnes.

2016 Grand Island Connor Middle School Softball Squad posts another undefeated season for the program.
Your lovely Lady Vikings of modified softball had another wonderful campaign on the diamond, going 14-0 on the season (12-0 in the Niagara Frontier League). The girls came to play every game and treated every opponent with the respect they deserved. Your Lady Vikings had an excellent, tight-fought contest with crosstown rival St. Stephen's in the softball "Pork chop Classic", which was one of GI's closer games of the year. Other great games this season were with Niagara Falls, albeit one of the three victories was by forfeit. Defense and pitching proved to be key as all opponents averaged only 3.4 runs per contest while GI averaged 20.
The seventh graders made up the bulk of this roster and that promises good things for the 2017 modified season and beyond. Sarah Dodge and Carolyn Ginsburg each made key catches in left field in the last NFL game of the year to preserve the title for the girls. Both Carolyn and Sarah had on-base percentages of over .500 on the season and consistently put in the effort in practice to be the best that they could be. Haley Coombs is an up-and-coming catcher that seems to be following in the tradition of great GI catchers dating back to the turn of the century. Haley led the team in sacrifice at bats, played OF and IF equally well, and became more free-wheeling behind the plate in terms of picking people off bases. Allyson Bellinger batted almost .600 and hit the ball squarely at an even greater rate. Allyson played a solid second base and always had a smile on her face - a great addition to any dugout. Bri Russell was a power pack in the circle, posting 5 wins and 2 saves. Bri plays every position and loves the game. A lot. Bri's on base percentage was over .600 and she loves dancing on the base paths. Morgan Tollner was a softball coach's dream leadoff hitter - lefty, slap or bunt, and quick like a bunny rabbit. Morgan roamed centerfield, led the team in stolen bases (19), and scored 39 times in 39 official at bats. Grace Carey owned third base. Grace snagged rips down the line, charged bunts, cut off slow rollers, and made every throw. Grace led the team in home runs (3) and tied for the team lead in runs batted in with 26. And finally, assistant captain Rose Meaney - Rose struck out 58 batters in 30 innings from the circle, tied for the team lead in RBIs with 26, and played a stellar first base. Rose is a competitor; she does not like to lose and plays to the whistle.
The eighth graders from this year's squad were not numerous, but they were certainly important pieces to the 2016 puzzle. Morgan Wieberg hit a bomb over the centerfield fence at Niagara Falls - very impressive! It was nice to see someone trot around the bases. Morgan batted .500, led the team in official at bats, and played a solid outfield. Avery Andrews was the only player this year "retiring" from the middle school having played four seasons with Coach Meaney (two softball and two basketball). Over these four campaigns, Avery amassed 55 wins (.930 winning percentage), two perfect seasons, and four NFL modified championships. Avery had three wins and two saves from the circle this season, striking out 41 in 24 innings. Avery also batted .500 with the stick. Gabby Bergstrom was this season's Most Valuable Player. Gabby played a strong shortstop and batted a team-high .596 from the cleanup spot. Gabby led the team in hits and doubles, but her real value may have been in her pre-game speeches to the team. And finally, Emily Kwiecinski, our catcher and captain. Emily is a workhorse behind the plate, the fountain from which our team defense springs, and has a cannon for an arm. Emily loves picking unsuspecting runners off third or first and there is very little more demoralizing to an opposing team than that. Emily's quick and strong bat gave her a .491 average on the season and she led the team in triples with four. Emily is a fun-loving captain and will be a great addition to next year's JV squad, as will the rest of the eighth graders.
The 2016 squad was special. They all enjoyed playing with each other and had fun playing. They were supportive of each other whether a play went the team’s way or not. They will all go far both on and off the field in the coming years.

Parents/Guardians of current 5th grade students who will be attending Veronica E. Connor Middle School for the 2016-2017 school year, are invited to an orientation on Wednesday, June 8th at 6:00 pm in the High School Grand Viking Theater. The orientation is for adults only and will review the expectations, curriculum and characteristics of our middle school. You will have a chance to meet our administration team, school counselors, and even some 6th grade teachers. There will also be time scheduled to tour the building.

Singcopations.
Men on Mondays

This past week two Middle School Choral groups received the prestigious "Gold with Distinction" rating at the NYSSMA Major Organization Festival. Men on Mondays, directed by Mrs. Annalea Masiello, actually brought the judges to tears with their interpretation of one of the selections! Singcopations received rave review on their "maturity of sound" and their "level of musicianship for such a young group". Singcopations is co-directed by Mrs. Caitlin Duffy and Mrs. Annalea Masiello.

The Connor Middle School Student Olympic Games will take place at the High School on Friday, May 20th from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. There will be olympic games, DJ music, Bounce Houses, Face Painting, Karaoke, Hip-Hop Dance Instruction, Irish Dance Instruction, Martial Arts Instruction, Baton Twirling Instruction and a Basket Raffle. Food Trucks will be available from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $8 each or $20 for a family. All proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. See flyer.

Iris Hutchins.

March is "Youth in Art Month", a national observance which recognizes and celebrates the work of school-age children, grade k-12. The annual celebration recognizes the importance and value of art education to student learning as well as encouraging community support of quality programs in our schools. Youth Art Month also provides an opportunity to recognize the unique skills and abilities that are developed by students through their involvement in the visual arts. To celebrate the annual occasion of Youth In Art month, Veronica Connor Middle School students' work is featured in a display at the Grand Island Memorial Library throughout the month of March.
The work on display showcases the many ways in which middle-level students use art as a form of self-expression, creatively solving problems by using a wide variety of media to express and find their unique artistic voice. The public is cordially invited to view the work. Pieces on display include ceramic tile designs, pastel paintings, perspective cities designed by the students, and realistic and abstracted designs, all by eight grade artists.
Students with work on display: Tala Abdellatif, Ronald Appoloney, Donovan Cornelius, Erin Cool, Emma Dickinson, Rhianna Enright, Autumn Gagliardi, Jasmin Gill, Alex Gottler, Iris Hutchins, Cecelia Kubanek, Robert Lefevre, Stephanie Longo, Sebastian Melendez, Jack Pratt, Brooke Price, Karie Stedman, Anthony Surace, Vanessa VanNorman, Susannah Zherebilov.

Ronald Appoloney is pictured with two of his art works.

Eighth grade student artist Ronald Appoloney has been selected as the K-12 "Artist of the Month" for February. Ronald is a hard-working and talented young artist whose dedication and effort is apparent in all of his work. He is an accelerated art student, currently enrolled in Studio in Art where he is earning high school credit while still in eighth grade. His work consistently displays creative and divergent thinking as well as a mastery of media and a meticulous eye for detail. Ronnie’s art teacher cites his creative ability and positive attitude as additional reasons that this student was selected as a recipient of this award. The art department applauds Ronald’s abilities and dedication and is pleased to honor him as a most worthy recipient of this award.

By Coach Arthur Meaney
Your lovely Lady Vikings won the NFL Modified Basketball League for the 2016 season, going 13-1 in league and 14-2 overall. The team had seven returning starters from last year's undefeated squad, so they were certainly used to winning and were hungry to keep up the pace. The seven seventh graders brought some skill and desire which created a healthy mix in practice and games. There were a few landmarks this season as the girls helped produce part of the longest consecutive NFL modified girls' basketball win streak (36 straight victories over three seasons) and acquired Grand Island's 225th win at the NFL modified level. Congratulations, Ladies.
In a rare occurrence, many of the seventh graders came in the door with competitive basketball experience. This allowed for an accelerated learning curve which was displayed on the court to the dismay of many an opponent. Ava DeFranks and Alyssa Nelson showed great fortitude as they came every day ready to work. They played tenacious defense and worked diligently in practice to be the best shooters they could be. Morgan Lynch also played solid defense and often found some open space to get her accurate shot off. Camille Burruano was new to basketball this year, but caught on quickly. Camille developed some soft hands under the basket and collected a number of rebounds. Brooke Eichel picked up where her sister left off last year and deposited 50 points, a great deal of that in the form of baseline jumpers. Brooke also showed a knack for reading where rebounds would go, which often continued the offensive set. Grace Carey was a force in the post - calling for the interior pass or controlling the boards. Grace scored 57 points and led the team in foul shots made and taken because of her aggressive play down low. And last but not least, Assistant Captain Rose Meaney. Rose showed a distinct ability as the point guard to make the right pass and find the correct player for some easy points. Rose scored 34 points, added at least that many assists, and played "to the whistle".
The eighth graders had one new addition from the previous season - Brooke Amato. Brooke brought a good amount of energy to the court and showed very quick feet in getting back on defense. Abby Blair (of girls' varsity hockey fame) didn't make as many games as she would have liked, but still contributed in practice by modeling what work ethic looks like. Abby will be in the paper for many years to come for hockey, but will always be welcome on the hardwood. Gianna D'Addario has an accurate shot and played solid defense. Gianna worked hard in practice to make her shot the best it could be. Kira Hutton and Karie Stedman returned with all of last year's fire and more. Kira is a tenacious defender who does not allow for jump balls - she just rips it from the other player's hands. Karie found a scoring touch this season and in one game was the high scorer. Both worked very hard in practice and seem to enjoy the game (of course, it's not soccer...). Makayla Montes put in almost 30 points on the season and was often on the court in the final minutes. Although not her primary sport, Makayla made the most of her abilities by working harder than her opponent, which often gave her the advantage. Captain of the 2016 champions was Avery Andrews, who put in 36 herself. Avery came everyday with an upbeat, positive attitude that was infectious. "A squared" was great in the paint and was always aware of where the ball was at either end of the court.
Our final eighth grader is Connor Middle School's 16th Centurion in 23 seasons - Amiah Wilkes. Amiah scored 111 points on the season while often covering the opposition's best player. Amiah's crossover often left her defender wondering where she went as Amiah went in for the layup. Number 10 was also a threat from the outside as her high-arcing shot often dropped straight through the hole.
Some of the best contests of the year were played with the St. Stephen's Eagles in the annual home-and-home Pork Chop Classic, again a testimony to the quality of play of girls' basketball on the island. The teams had the good fortune to meet up a third time at halftime at Alumni Arena on Cassie Oursler Night (who gave visiting islanders a fitting finish by blocking the final buzzer beater effort and giving UB the win). The JV program is in good hands with the upcoming crop of eighth graders and we should expect further exciting things for Grand Island's girls' high school basketball next season. This team recorded Connor Middle School's career 225th win during the season - quite a milestone for the program and the 200 plus student/athletes who helped make that happen over the past 23 seasons. The score book was kept by scorekeeper/manager Olivia Nucci, who did a solid job recording the events as they developed. Many thanks to all of the parties, mentioned or not, who made this memorable season possible.

How can the adult professionals of WNY learn from today's youth? Combine them together for an afternoon of friendly competition. Grand Island's chapter of JV DECA hosted the Gamma Delta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International at Veronica E. Connor Middle School recently to do just that. DKG is a professional honor society of key women educators in the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Japan whose mission is to promote professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.
While younger in age, JV DECA members similarly strive to build their skills in: Social Intelligence, Leadership Development, Vocational Understanding and Civic Consciousness. Although already well-versed in techniques to enhance learning at the elementary, middle, high school and even college level, the women of DKG came away from this joint meeting with a greater insight on the emerging professionalism of today's teens and their ability to think on their feet and solve real world business problems. After JV DECA students conducted a sample competitive DECA event, they turned the tables on their guests by requiring the attendees to solve a similar problem. Sticking to the rules of DECA, the adults were only given ten minutes to meet and discuss the scenario, apply the six steps in decision making and prepare their presentation. Upon sharing their solutions with the JV DECA "adjudicators", the adult professionals commented on "how good it still feels to be told that our ideas are good ones!" and how pleasantly surprised they were at how poised and well-spoken their 13-year old judges could be.
Before departing, the JV DECA members shared still warm-from-the-oven homemade apple pies with their new DKG friends and felt proud of their newfound culinary skills. Delta Kappa Gamma is no stranger to the Grand Island and North Tonawanda students, however, as DKG continues to be a faithful donor of an annual graduation scholarship to two qualifying young women, one from each district, pursuing a career in education. The Connor Middle School JV DECA chapter meets under the advisement of Family and Consumer Science Teacher/DKG Member, Mrs. Mary Jane Fonte and is a proud part of the largest DECA Chapter in Western New York under the advisement of Mrs. Cheryl Chamberlain.

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